About Will Brink

Will Brink is the owner of the Brinkzone Blog. Will has over 15 years experience as a respected author, columnist and consultant, to the supplement, fitness, bodybuilding, and weight loss industry and has been extensively published. Will graduated from Harvard University with a concentration in the natural sciences, and is a consultant to major supplement, dairy, and pharmaceutical companies.

His often ground breaking articles can be found in publications such as Lets Live, Muscle Media 2000, MuscleMag International, The Life Extension Magazine, Muscle n Fitness, Inside Karate, Exercise For Men Only, Body International, Power, Oxygen, Penthouse, Women’s World and The Townsend Letter For Doctors.

The Ultimate Program For The Ultimate Whole Body Strength & Conditioning Tool

NOTE: Purchase of the BrinkZone Avenger Sled – the ultimate push sled that allows easy transport and storage – includes a free copy of this program. See the Avenger sled in action HERE

If you’ve been following my stuff for a while via vids, articles, and blog posts, you know I have been working with push sleds for years now with people from all walks of life. SWAT teams, fitness models, strong man competitors, body builders, IFBB pro Figure competitors, to Joe/Jane every day fitness enthusiast, and those looking to shed some weight, to name just a few. The longer I use the sled with an ever wider variety of people with varying goals, the more convinced I became that the push sled is the single most effective strength and conditioning tool known to mankind. Push sleds from various manufacturers have become very popular as of late, and for damn good reason; or as creator of the highly popular 5/3/1 program, elite ranked power lifter, and strength coach Dave Wendler says of sled work:

“I am thoroughly convinced that the Prowler is the answer to most of our world’s problems: debt, overpopulation, drugs, obesity, etc. “

Ok, a slight exaggeration, but only slight! The fact is, a good quality push sled used correctly – in my view – one of the single most effective strength and conditioning tools ever invented. It’s whole body kick ass training nothing I’m aware of can match, and when combined as a cohesive program, impressive gains in strength, conditioning, and body composition are the result. I also find sled work allows people with various preexisting injuries and tendinopathies to make continued progress. If you already have a push sled, and have been working with it for some time, then you already know that. If not, well, find a push sled, or purchase one, and discover that for yourself. Enter, the BrinkZone Sled-Centric Program (BSCP) which is the Ultimate Program For The Ultimate Whole Body Strength & Conditioning Tool.å

Origins of the The Sled-Centric Program

Yes, literally, and could save other children from a lifetime of ill health easily avoided. Genetic disorders effect millions of children, and there’s 29 currently screened for by simple blood test, but not the one this baby and others suffer from. Some children have been mistakenly diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (and likely other disorders) when in fact it was an easily treatable disorder known as GAMT deficiency or simply “creatine deficiency disorder.” GAMT deficiency, which can be tested for easily, has some researchers pushing for newborn screening that would use the same blood test that screens for 29 recommended disorders. Without early intervention, brain damage can be permanent, so it must be caught early.

This recent story really brings home how this inexpensive non-toxic nutritional supplement could be a life saver for children with this easily testable genetic disorder:

If you have watched my videos over the years, you know I’m a fan. Here’s why; Sandbag training is some of the most productive “functional” training around. The sandbags Ultimate Sandbag takes sandbag training to another level. They have handles and grips, and are very well made. The number of exercises you can do with the sandbags is virtually endless. A must have for home gyms and those who want to take their functional strength and fitness to the next level! I use them with teams I work with and clients at all levels, and keep a small, medium, and large bag in my home gym. If you watch the various vids on the site here, you will see I use these bags for a large variety of training. I have added additional vids to watch below, and if interested in more info, click HERE

If you have read my articles and seen my vids, you know I’m a fan of thick bar/Enhanced grip training for anyone interested in improving their grip, arm strength, and overall functional strength for sports such as strongman, MMA, power lifting, and daily life. It’s a “must have” tool in the training tool box in my view. In this latest vid, I review a unique grip strengthener, the Globe Gripz product.

Here’s a simple fact of life: if your back and legs can dead-lift 700lb, but your grip ends at 300lbs, your dead-lift is 300 lbs. Thus, your grip is truly the final link in the chain that dictates what you can pull off the ground or what you can hold onto in general, be it a chin up bar, barbell, or other objects. Your grip is your ultimate contact with the weights and the objects of life. For strength athletes, such as power lifters, strongman competitors, and others, grip strength is king. Without it, you are no place. When it comes to strength, you are only as strong as your weakest link and most strength athletes know that fact all too well.

Grip strength is also a key factor in various martial arts, especially MMA and BJJ. If you grab onto someone’s sweaty forearm and they easily pull away from your grip, it will make a big difference in the outcome of that MMA match. Various athletes from places one might not expect, from golf, the shooting sports, and others, know a strong grip plays either an important role – or a key role – to their success. That’s why the worlds top strength & conditioning coaches, and knowledgeable strength athletes – such as Dave Tate, Joe DeFranco, Charles Poliquin, Jim Wendler to name a few, focus on functional grip strength, often using thick grip/thick handled barbells and dumbbells. Problem for most people is, their gym has few if any thick handle dumbbells or barbells (usually 2.5” in diameter) as they tend to be both expensive and a “niche” product to your average health club or gym.

Perhaps less appreciated, but no less important, thick handled dumbbells and barbells also stimulate the forearms and muscles of the upper arms to boot, so they have real utility to those looking to add size and strength to the entire arm, not just increasing grip strength. As Charles Poliquin has said

“… as much as possible, train with thick bars when training the upper body … Can’t add size to your biceps? Try working the forearms!”

Your standard barbells, dumbbells, chin-up bars and cable attachments are only about 1” or so in diameter, which of course makes them easy to grip. That’s well and fine for beginners, non-serious trainers, and bodybuilders only concerned with visual appeal, but it’s not optimal for everyone else serious about maximizing their functional strength and muscle mass. Hence, a grip enhancer (various types such a FatGripz, T Gripz, and now Globe Gripz are covered on this site and or found in the Recommended Stuff section of the site) is a highly recommended tool in your tool box of training.

Latest victims of the BrinkZone Gauntlet, Leah Gifford and Paul Gifford, who get down and dirty with a workout that is whole body training at its best. This is what effective efficient whole body GPP, conditioning, endurance, and metabolic work looks like using the Prowler Sled, sand bags, and other tools. No “toning and firming” nonsense here, just hard work that yields results! BTW, all the tools used in this vid can be found via the “Approved Stuff” section if interested in more info.

“Estrogen blocker” supplements, do they really work? If so, should people – men in particular – use them? I answer that question in this vid and cover the facts on these supplements as few others can or will…BTW, most of more popular ingredients used in OTC estrogen blocker/anti estrogen supplements used on the market, are covered in detail in my BBR program and SSB book if you want details beyond what this vid covers, either of which can be found in the “Recommended Stuff” section of the site.

In this vid, I discuss the importance of grip strength in various sports, such as MMA, Power lifting, Strong Man, etc, and cover T Grips & FatGripz as tools for increasing grip and arm strength and other benefits, as well as mention a grip I find particularly effective for reducing tendonitis (Globe Gripz) which I did a vid on HERE. For training vids, more info on the benefits of thick bar training, click HERE

Check out this fun grip challenge I put together I call The Grip Gauntlet using Globe Grips, T Grips, and Fat Gripz Extreme HERE

What are the facts on this “new” supplement, HMB, or beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate ? In this vid, you’ll learn the facts on this supplement and know the reality from marketing BS.

NOTE: Study mentioned in this vid (Eur J Appl Physiol. 2014 Mar 6. The effects of 12 weeks of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate free acid supplementation on muscle mass, strength, and power in resistance-trained individuals: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study) used 3g of of HMB in a free acid form (HMB-FA) — the free form of HMB which may have a superior bioavailability over calcium bound HMB. However, vast majority of studies used calcium bound HMB and it’s unclear if the form used in this study was an essential factor to the results. To date, no studies have compared the two forms head to head in terms of effects on body comp, strength, etc.